The present invention relates to an automatic apparatus for executing sewings according to a determined contour. Automatic units, arranged for executing sewing works of the mentioned type, are known in the art. In these, a sewing machine is mounted on an appropriate system of slides moving on corresponding guides perpendicular to each other so as to give the machine a composite movement along two orthogonal axes X and Y, so that the sewing machine needle will be able to occupy each desired point of a plane path.
Usually, the movement to the guide system was given by a follower connected to the slide system and forced to rotate along a fixed pattern reproducing the shape of the sewing to be executed. The coupling between follower and pattern might be either of the magnetic type or be formed by a pinion and toothing made out along the contour of the same pattern.
In the described automatic units known in the art, there are some drawbacks which compromise their efficiency and cost. First, it is necessary to arrange interchangeable patterns for executing sewings of different contour and, second, it is difficult, if not altogether impossible, for the operator to carry out the sewing preparation while the machine executes the sewing on a work piece previously arranged on the apparatus.